Eli Lilly and Company vs Merck & Co., Inc.

Full side-by-side comparison — 2026

Data as of Sep 10, 2026 · Updated automatically

LLY

Price USD 1123.80
P/E Ratio 38.6x
Div Yield 0.59%
Beta 0.50
Sector Health Care

MRK

Price USD 145.08
P/E Ratio 120.3x
Div Yield 2.23%
Beta 0.23
Sector Health Care

Price Overview

Metric LLY MRK
Current Price 1,123.80 145.08
Previous Close 1,123.00 144.71

Valuation

Metric LLY MRK
Trailing P/E 38.57 120.26
Forward P/E 24.32 15.75
Price / Book 30.24 8.85
Price / Sales 12.87 5.57
EV / EBITDA 25.67 14.47

Dividends & Income

Metric LLY MRK
Dividend Yield 0.59% 2.23%
Dividend Rate (Annual) 6.69 3.36
5-Year Avg Yield 1.11% 2.95%
Payout Ratio 21.66% 261.52%

Risk & Financial Health

Metric LLY MRK
Beta (Volatility) 0.50 0.23
Debt / Equity 162.07 128.41
Quick Ratio 0.68 0.74
Current Ratio 1.35 1.32

Growth & Profitability

Metric LLY MRK
Revenue Growth 47.70% 5.10%
Earnings Growth 26.20% -19.30%
Return on Equity 102.29% 6.96%
Revenue / Share 89.02 26.85
Trailing EPS 29.80 1.25
Forward EPS 47.26 9.55

Analyst Targets

Metric LLY MRK
Analyst Mean Target 1,315.56 148.73
Analyst High Target 1,600.00 186.00
Analyst Low Target 850.00 105.00

Bottom Line: LLY vs MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) leads on 9 of 15 comparable metrics.

Eli Lilly and Company has a higher Earnings Growth (26.20% vs -19.30%), which indicates profits are growing more quickly
Eli Lilly and Company has a higher Return on Equity (102.29% vs 6.96%), which suggests more efficient use of shareholder capital
Eli Lilly and Company has a lower Payout Ratio (21.66% vs 261.52%), which uses a smaller share of earnings for dividends

This comparison is based on publicly available financial data and is for informational purposes only. It is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

LLY Eli Lilly and Company

Best for Growth Investors
• Higher Revenue Growth: 47.70%
• Higher Earnings Growth: 26.20%
• Higher Return on Equity: 102.29%

MRK Merck & Co., Inc.

Best for Value Investors
• Lower Forward P/E: 15.75
• Lower Price / Book: 8.85
• Lower Price / Sales: 5.57
Best for Income Investors
• Higher Dividend Yield: 2.23%
• Higher 5-Year Avg Yield: 2.95%
Best for Conservative Investors
• Lower Beta (Volatility): 0.23
• Lower Debt / Equity: 128.41
• Higher Quick Ratio: 0.74

Watch Out

MRK trades at 120.3x earnings vs LLY at 38.6x — a gap this large often reflects different growth expectations, not simple mispricing.

Analyst Upside / Downside

LLY
+17.1%
MRK
+2.5%

Based on analyst mean price targets. Estimates are not guaranteed and may not reflect future performance.

About These Companies

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY)

Health Care · United States · NYQ

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets human pharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and internationally. The company offers cardiometabolic health products, including Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. It also provides oncology products, such as Cyramza …

View LLY details →

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

Health Care · United States · NYQ

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It offers human health pharmaceutical for various areas under the Keytruda, Keytruda Qlex, Welireg, Gardasil, ProQuad, M-M-R II, Varivax, Vaxneuvance, Capvaxive, RotaTeq, Pneumovax 23, Bridion, Prevymis, Dificid, Zerbaxa, Winrevair, Adempas/ Verquvo, Ohtuvayre, Lagevrio, Isentress/Isentress HD, Delstrigo, Pifeltro, Belsomra, Januvia, and Janumet brands. The company also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services, such as livestock products under the Nuflor, Bovilis/Vista, Bovilis Cryptium, Banamine, Estrumate, Matrix, Resflor, Zuprevo, …

View MRK details →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has a better dividend yield, LLY or MRK?
Merck & Co., Inc. currently has the higher dividend yield. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) yields 0.59% while Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) yields 2.23%. Past dividends do not guarantee future payments.
Which is more volatile, LLY or MRK?
Eli Lilly and Company is more volatile based on beta. Eli Lilly and Company has a beta of 0.50 and Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.23. A beta above 1.0 means higher volatility than the overall market.
Which is cheaper by P/E ratio, LLY or MRK?
Eli Lilly and Company has the lower trailing P/E ratio. Eli Lilly and Company trades at 38.6x earnings while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at 120.3x. A lower P/E may suggest better relative value, but could also reflect lower growth expectations.
Which has more analyst upside, LLY or MRK?
Based on mean analyst price targets, Eli Lilly and Company has more upside potential. Eli Lilly and Company has +17.1% upside and Merck & Co., Inc. has +2.5% upside from current prices. Analyst estimates are not guaranteed.
Can I track both LLY and MRK in one portfolio?
Yes. AllInvestView lets you add both Eli Lilly and Company and Merck & Co., Inc. to the same portfolio and monitor price changes, dividends, total return, and allocation — completely free.

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